Re: Beaten by the mob
There are obvious dangers, as Andrew pointed out, of going off on bullies.
Based on my own experiences, I have to agree with Andrew.
On my own account, I have to add that all these stories about standing up to bullies can be dangerous. They feed the myth that bullies are cowards, and will back down if you stand up to them. They also perpetuate the idea that, if your cause is good,then you'll naturally win.
Unfortunately, these myths only hold true on prime time TV.
In fact, most of the time, bullies will only escalate their behavior if you fight back. That's true of bullies of all kinds - whether they're physical, verbal, legal or executive bullies. Seeing you respond in kind, most of them will only become more vicious than ever.
That's not to say that you should never stand-up to bullies. If nothing else,sometimes you need to do for your own self-respect. Knuckling under once to bullies did me so much psychological damage that I am unlikely ever to do so again, even if held at gunpoint (and I say this without the least degree of hyperbole, believe me). But I do suggest that, if you can plan your stand against a bully, you make sure that you either have enough support or clout to make sure that the bully can't retaliate - that, or have a rapid exit ready.
--
Bruce Byfield bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com 604.421.7177
http://members.axion.net/~bbyfield
"Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."
-G. K. Chesterton.
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